Mikhail Ledovskikh ends Tatsuma Ito’s run to move into main draw – Malaysian Open 2011
Mikhail Ledovskikh, Russian, entered the 2011 Malaysian Open main draw on Monday, 26th September ousting Tatsuma Ito in the final qualifying round. Playing on hard circuit at Putra Stadium, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur,
the Russian captured a 6-7(5), 6-2, 7-6(6) win after a long two hour and 38 minutes match and walked into the main draw of the ATP Tour 250 event.
Ito served out the first game of the match. Following the Japanese world No.130, the Russian followed up levelling the scores next, 1-1. Battling out hard, both players went of serving out their respective games and levelled first
at 2-2, 3-3, 4-4 and then at 5-5.
With a clean game and no breakpoints for either of the two, the set ended up in a tiebreaker. winning one after the other, the two followed up winning points until Ito broke and served out the last point winning the tiebreak, 7-5,
and the set, 7-6(5), to lead the match, 1-0.
Moving on to set 2, Ledovskikh served out the starter and switched the serve back to the Japanese. Levelling up next Ito went on returning the Russian in game 3, 1-1. Winning game 2 with a startling forehand winner, Ledovskikh
broke the world No.130 with a superb net play and stood to serve next.
With scores at 3-1 in favour of the Russian, he then served out game 5 with another mesmerizing forehand shot and completing his serve-break-serve tactic to lead the match 4-1. Ito pulled of a game, however, could not break back
anywhere in the set.
Ledovskikh served out game 7 to secure a 5-2 lead, and broke the Japanese in game 8 to storm away with the set winning 6-2 to level the match scores at 1-1.
With the decider on its way, Ledovskikh served first and rolled down the scoreboard, 1-0. Ito held on close to his rival levelling up the scores next, 1-1. With the two fighting out hard for a win, both kept on winning on respective
serves and levelled up at 2-2, 3-3, 4-4, and then at 5-5.
Winning one game each next, the set blazed into a tiebreak decider. Serving first Ledovskikh fell short and dropped a point while Ito went on storming away with the first 3 points in his bag. Cutting down the lead, Ledovskikh served
out the next two points and closed up, 2-3.
With the match boiling up, Ito extended his lead to 5-2 serving out two points and closed up on his win. Ledovskikh stayed on the Japanese tail working out 2 points on his serve, 4-5. Levelling up next, the Russian stormed in and
snatched away the lead and blistered the tiebreak winning the set 7-6(6), the match 2-1 and a berth in the main draw of the event.
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